Birth of Cheetah Cubs Streamed Live On The Web

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Africam.com succesfully broadcasted the LIVE birth of 3 cheetah cubs on the internet Wednesday night. This was the official launch of a new channel which plans to document the lives of the cubs from birth to their hopeful re-introduction into the wild.
http://www.africam.com

Mother Cheetah with her cubs on the live camera

“As far as we know this has never been done before. The work being done for the cheetah at HESC is truly inspiring, and it's a story we felt needed to be told."

Hoedspruit, South Africa (PRWEB)May 04, 2012

The threatened big cats were new additions to the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre (HESC) which has been at the forefront of cheetah conservation for over 20 years.

The birth of the 3 cubs took place over a span of about 4 hours starting at approximately 6:30pm CAT. “As far as we know this has never been done before. The work being done for the cheetah at HESC is truly inspiring, and it's a story we felt needed to be told. We wanted our viewers to be a part of cheetah conservation by watching these endangered creatures being born”, said Paul Penzhorn a spokesperson for Africam.

The story Africam is trying to tell has wildlife conservation at its heart. Cheetahs are by far the most endangered of the big cats in Africa. The cheetah has been on Earth for 3.5 to 4 million years, but in the last 100 years their population has decreased by approximately 90%. Breeding programs, like the one at HESC are vital to expanding the cheetah's gene pool and helping to ensure the long term survival of the species.

The camera is meant to bring awareness to the dangers cheetahs are facing and promote further conservation by making it accessible to the internet's global audience.

The event of the LIVE birth was a landmark, but as far as Africam is concerned it is only the beginning. The live video channel plans to follow the cubs 24 hours a day while they are at the centre. Viewers will be able to watch the cubs play, eat, explore and mature in real time, as they prepare for their hopeful re-introduction into the wild.

As entertaining as the broadcast will be, the research team at HESC is among the most enthusiastic about the live channel. The solar powered camera system that is in place will allow the staff to observe the interaction between mother and cubs around the clock, uninterrupted by the presence of humans. Being able to capture, record and document this behaviour for the centre is one of the primary goals of the project.

"A Cheetah Cub's Tail", as Africam has named their newest channel is currently broadcasting live, 24 hours a day from the HESC maternity ward. Visit africam.com to see Salome, her 3 cubs and be a part of cheetah conservation on the web.